Erubescent
by ageha obsessed
Summary: Erubescent: Reddening or blushing. Because the first time they met, she couldn't help but blush and he can't seem to look away.


**I should be updating Valentine's ache but I realize it needs more work so I will be reposting it and well this just came to me when I was washing the dishes (No, I really mean it! It literally came to me when I was washing the dishes after dinner) Inspiration comes at the most inconvenient times and I was forced to sit and write this down. It's been five hours and my butt is numb. So, enjoy the story, review and tell me if this should be continued because my butt is numb and it's one a.m. and I'm tired because I have grocery shopping to do in six hours so, goodnight!**

**Erubescent.**

**Chapter one: Drapetomania; an urge to run away**

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The aroma of the spices mixing together distracted her from her troubles. Troubles that she should be thinking about seriously but she didn't want to, not really. Some things can only be dealt with after you've had enough time to yourself, enough time to hide from the world—at least, just for a little while.

She would have liked to say she had never run from her problems but that would be a lie. And she hated lies because every time she told one, her insides would twist violently. She always felt like vomiting afterwards, guilty-bound. Unfortunately for her, she was _very good _at telling lies. In fact, she had never been caught in the act, she was that good. _She_ _hated it_.

So she hid from the world with her cooking. Sano always tells her it's the best thing he's ever had, every time guarantee. He understood her so, he didn't ask her about the things she's left behind and things she wants to forget because he knew if he did, she would run. If she ran, he would never see her again. So he grins and tells her she would make a good wife, that if he didn't have Megumi, he'd have wooed her—or Tae he would joke. She would smile while her heart wept, because for someone like her, a future like that was near reach impossible. It can only be a dream because she lost that right to happiness a long time ago. Redemption for her wicked soul is a long road with no salvation, that's what she tells herself when she's alone and her friends can't see her.

A long time ago, she had a very simple dream. It was about finding a good man, fall in love and build a warm household together. She would have a little garden, filled with vegetables, herbs and the occasional flowers, a place she can toil in the earth for a moment of peace. Her husband would come home to dinner that she had prepared and if they were lucky her boys would come and eat with their father while her daughters help her in the kitchen. It was a simple fantasy.

Children are pure and she loved them immensely for it except that she also very afraid of them. She was afraid to touch them so she settled for looking at them for afar—even if she loved them, it didn't protect them from her. She can easily taint them if she wasn't careful, she must always be on her guard. Even then, she wanted to take no chances, she could only hurt them—those sweet souls. Thus, she buried her dreams of a man that can accept her, sins and regret and that small house filled with children's laughter because she lost that right.

And she continued to smile and laugh when Sano tells his jokes or when Yahiko would beg a lesson off her because according to him, she was the coolest and ugly-butt wasn't to which Sano would give him a noogie and a lecture to respect his betters.

_There is more to kendo than just power_, she often told him to which he responded with a disbelieving scowl. He doesn't quite get it yet though she didn't blame him. It was a dying art. However, give time she believed that he has the potential to go further in kendo than anyone else because he has the will to do so.

The oven dinged and she made to remove it quickly. It was hot but she was used to the sweltering heat of a smithy and pottery-ovens. Her teacher was a bear of a man that was both kind and harsh, who had taken her in when she became an orphan. Apparently, he was her father's long lost brother from a different mother, unfortunately for her made him her only relative alive and automatic legal guardian. He also affectionately calls her _orokona-ko_, she sighed. It was only her luck that her first word was _oro_; and it stuck as a tell when she was nervous or surprised. She scowled, it was his fault.

Taking off the cooking mitts, she let the chicken cool off for a bit. The potatoes were done boiling, the next thing to do would be to toast them and serve them together with the chicken, poured over with a sauce that was simmering quite nicely, if she may add. She turned off the stove and toasted the potatoes while humming a tune. Satisfied with her dish she wiped her wet hands on the fabric of her apron. It was her first time making this dish so she was pleased when it came out nicely. She may tweak the recipe a bit later but today was good enough.

"Wow that smells great, Mura-chan!"

She blinked, "Tae-senpai…I thought you had already went home."

Tae grinned, "I am but I figured I'd save you the trouble to get the keys from sensei. Here you go." Tae tossed the key from across the island where she stood. Leaning a bit on her palms, Tae peered at the dish. "It looks great as usual, Mura-chan!"

She sighed, "Arigatou, I'm grateful but please use my proper name, senpai," she scolded softly.

"But it's cuter, oh your hubby's coming over later. He's running a bit late 'cause he's chewing out a junior." Tae informed with a grin.

She merely smiled as she corrected her sempai for the umpteenth time, "Sano and I are friends, Tae-senpai. He is in a relationship with Megumi-san."

"I don't know. It could go either way. Anyway, I'm already late for my date with Katsu so, see you tomorrow, Mura-chan!"

She smiled at her senpai's antics, "Hai, have a good evening, senpai."

With only the dirty dishes left, she turned to the sink. It was a hot day but to her reprieve it was close to the window where an evening breeze was softly blowing. The sun blinded her a little so she squinted her eyes a little when a silhouette suddenly appeared. Startled by the sudden silhouette that was heading straight for her, she tried to back away but it was too late. It was all she could do and brace for sudden impact. It tackled into her and in a flurry of limbs and arms and she hit her head on the floor.

She gasped as the breath in her lungs was knocked out of her in a simple whoosh. Pain exploded behind her eyelids, the back of her head and back throbbed from the crash and her vision went black for an instance before colours started to swim. Still disoriented she felt someone pulling her body to prop it against something solid, her ears still ringing since she hit her head but it gradually came back. Any later had her hearing returned and she would have nearly missed his soft apology. His voice was soothing, a little rough with a sweet undertone to it. Somehow, it reminded her of a puppy or a kitten—that young innocence.

When the pounding behind her eyes receded and her senses returned. She became aware of their intimate position, her back to the wall and her fingers clutching at his crisp white uniform for some sort of balance because she was somehow in his lap. Their hips pressed together intimately, her face was red with embarrassment. He had a slim waist but it was still distinguish male and she somehow had her legs around it, it was firm against her thighs and her skirt was riding up inappropriately. She squeaked in surprise and pushed against his shoulder.

"This is inappropriate…let me…" she whispered. Her throat was dry, her heart was racing too fast, any faster and it would stop and her face was too hot.

He shifted, she sighed in relief but it was short-lived. She squeaked again when she realized he wasn't shifting to let her go. He was pressing her closer. His hand on her waist moved to wrap around it and pull her up, his body shifted closer to her so she was fully trapped against the wall and a male torso. The hand that was cradling her neck slide out to lean his forearm on the wall for a little balance.

Flustered, she made to stop him, "What are you doing?!" His hand that was on her waist moved to cover her mouth. Alarmed, she struggled against his hold and managed a knee to his side. He wheezed in surprise and loosened his grip on her a little.

Taking her presented opportunity, she scrambled and twist out of his forced hold, focusing on her escape instead of the stranger.

It was a mistake she soon regretted because he recovered quickly and grabbed her ankle. She fell with a heavy thud and just as quickly he pulled her under his body weight, blocking out her almost successful escape. She tried to scream but he had his hand on her mouth, his mouth right next to her ear.

"I'm not gonna do anything. I understand if you don't believe me but I really can't afford to get caught now. I'm being chased right now so, I'd really appreciate it if you…uh, help me?" he told her. After being tackled, she would prefer to throttle him instead but the desperation in his voice was genuine and if he really was chased for whatever reason then he must have thought he was out of options. She knew from personal experience that people on the run do insane things that normal people wouldn't even think of doing. So, she took a deep breath and nodded her answer.

She felt him breathe out in relief. He was breathing pretty hard and now that she noticed it, he was also sweating a lot. She felt him move his hand from her mouth and prop himself up from her.

"Um…sorry about that," she watch his profile come to view, at first she focused on his mouth and jaw as he was apologizing to her. He had a strong-looking jaw but a little baby fat dulled it and made him look young, especially since he was sporting such an embarrassed looking grin. The green tie meant he was a first-year.

"A senpai got a bit annoyed with me and to be honest it would've been easier to just take whatever he dishes out but," as he continued talking, she blinked repeatedly as her eyes continued to roam up the first year's face. Her heart felt like it was going to burst, she felt like she was doing something she wasn't supposed to. The way she was slowly ogling him felt too intimate, too much like a lover's caress would.

His nose was cute reminding her of a kitten, the thought nearly made her smile.

But it was his eyes that made her breathless, she instantly wished he had picked another classroom to sneak into because she wished she had never seen his eyes. They pierced her soul, into her heart like an arrow would. His eyes were honest, she could see every emotion shining through and as crazy as it sounds she hated this boy with her entire being.

His voice was a buzz to her ears, her heart pounding ferociously drowning out any other sounds.

_How dare he?_

He gave her an easy smile. Her hand twitched.

_How dare he?_

"I'm just really stubborn, I guess." He admitted with an awkward grin and looked up, "I think I lost him."

The sunlight seem to blind her so she blinked them shut and put a hand over her forehead to shade her eyes. The light around the boy made him _glow_. She was _mesmerized_. Her heart dropped to her stomach and she wanted to run away.

_It just wasn't fair, why did he come here? _

She wanted to blame him. Claw his eyes out and pretend she never saw them. But that wouldn't be fair—it wasn't his fault…

He had bluest eyes she had ever seen. Deep ocean blue that suck her in and a calming cooling sensation clouded over her.

She had to get away _right now_.

"Senpai?"

She blinked in surprise, he was closer now. Puffs of hot air hit her lips. She can smell his scent, a faint jasmine lingering in the thick ocean breeze, his sweat, the earth. Inconsequently, she hears the cicadas singing their early songs and feels the heat because summer was fast approaching. Her skin was too tight—hypersensitive.

That's why she jumped and pushed him away when he touched her. That's why she turned and ran, never looked back but can never forget because she had seen his _ocean-deep eyes_.

She knew without saying anything, even without looking back she knew those eyes would haunt her in her dreams.

She needed to stay away. He was _dangerous_.

He enraptured her with his eyes and smiles. But she had to stay away or else he would ruin her. So, she ran the fastest she can and hopes he wouldn't look for her because if he ever finds her, she wasn't sure if she can resist him—resist his lures. She didn't want to be trapped by that boy—no, that was a lie, those were the eyes of a man.

The eyes of a dangerous man.

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**So? Anyone figured out what the twist yet? **

**Oh, and I'm lazy so disclaimer over here and this anime is not mine, except for the twist—IT'S MINE! Ahem, review and tell me if this has potential.**

**I consider fifty review worthy—(maybe) of a continuation  
**


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